Chapter 30

The air was heavy in the conference room at Wellington Holdings. Weight hung over the polished mahogany table where board members sat, waiting. There was no arrogance of corporate culture in the air, only an unease that none of them could quite put their finger on.

Ronald Wellington sat at the head, his pose commanding, staring on towards the double doors as if he was waiting for a ghost to walk right through them. To his right sat Catherine Rodriguez, poised in a crimson blazer, the fingers of one hand interlocking tightly into the other on the table. Next to her, her mother Beatrice sat her lips painted in a thin line.

The air was thick with uncertainty, whispers buzzing like insects between the minor board members. Even Charles Wellington, who seldom showed interest in these affairs, sat forward in his seat, furrowing his brow.

This was supposed to be a straightforward announcement: a name would be called, and a new president would be crowned. But something in the silence before that moment felt unnerving.

Then...

The doors pushed open.

A figure entered, clad in a pristine black suit, heels against the floor-never once failing in her walk of confidence.

Gasps hushed through the room.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

Catherine's nails pierced into her skin as her eyes widened. Beside her, Beatrice froze. Even Ronald, the man who prided himself on a mask of showing no emotion whatsoever, felt a slight tightening within his chest.

Because the lady who just came in wasn't a stranger either.

She was not an outsider.

She was Amelia Rodriguez!.

And she was back!.

The Storm Before the Silence

The room exploded into a riot even before Amelia had uttered a word.

"What the hell is going on?" One of the senior board members barked, shooting up from his seat.

"This is ridiculous-what is she doing here?"

Beatrice's face contorted in anger. "This must be some mistake," she muttered under her breath.

Ronald did nothing of that sort. He remained stock still, only watched her with that sharp, glacier-blue gaze cutting Amelia down and scrutinizing her like some wild animal searching out an enemy's weakness.

She was different now.

No more the hunched-over Amelia-the little one the strong around her would have, did, protect from harm-cowed and helpless and then so easily discarded-forgotten. The woman before them now, was very, very different altogether.

Her hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders; her makeup, subdued yet striking; her expression unreadable. A silent storm was brewing behind her gaze, contained yet undeniably formidable.

She placed a single folder onto the table and, in a voice that was calm yet full of resonance, announced,

"I am here as the new president of Wellington Holdings."

Silence crashed over the room.

It was deafening.

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

Then—

"What?" Catherine's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

Amelia's lips curled into a faint smirk, her fingers tapping the folder lightly. "I believe you all received the official notice. But let me make it clear-Jake Wellington left his entire inheritance in my name, including his shares in Wellington Holdings. I now own controlling interest in this company."

Louder protests erupted. Board members turned to each other in disbelief, their voices overlapping in panicked murmurs.

Catherine shot to her feet, slamming a hand onto the table. "That's impossible! Jake would never—"

"He did."

The voice that answered her wasn't Amelia's.

It was Marson.

Flashback*******

Four years ago, in a dimly lit office, Jake Wellington leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. Across from him sat his personal assistant, Marson, and his lawyer, Mr. Daniels.

"You’re certain about this?" Mr. Daniels asked, adjusting his glasses.

Jake exhaled slowly. "More than certain."

"But Mr. Wellington," Marson began, voice hesitant, "leaving everything to Miss Amelia—this will not go unnoticed. The Wellington family will not sit quietly."

Jake smirked, his golden-brown eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "They’ve never been quiet. But this time, they won’t have a say."

Daniels cleared his throat. "The power of attorney you’re signing ensures that Amelia’s claim is ironclad. However, once she takes over, she will be—"

"A target," Jake finished for him.

A pause.

Marson shifted uncomfortably. "If you’re aware of that, then why—"

"Because she’s the only one who deserves it." Jake’s voice was steady, firm. "Wellington Holdings is corrupt. Ronald, Catherine, and the rest of them—they’ll tear each other apart for control. But Amelia? She’s different. She doesn’t crave power, which is exactly why she should have it."

Marson hesitated. "And what if she doesn’t want it?"

Jake chuckled low and shook his head. "Then it will go to her children—if she ever has any. But knowing Amelia." He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower. "She will rise to the challenge. When the time comes, she will take back what's hers."

One last pause.

Then, with a smirk, Jake picked up his pen and signed the papers.

End of Flashback*******

When the memory faded, Marson, standing beside Amelia, reached into his briefcase.

A sealed envelope, crisply drawn.

He slid it across the table.

"This is a letter from Jake Wellington himself, along with the official power of attorney in regard to the transferring of all his inheritance to Amelia Rodriguez."

Eyes moved from Amelia to the document and back.

"No," Beatrice whispered. "This can't be."

Marson wasn't fazed as the panic mounted in the room. "Jake made it emphatically clear that none of his wealth, shares, or inheritance would ever return to the Wellington family. Charles Wellington may retain his portion, but he has no claim over what was left to Amelia."

Catherine's lips quivered. "This is a fraud-this has to be a fraud!

Marson inclined his head slightly to one side. "Shall I call Mr. Daniels to confirm?"

Silence.

Beatrice's fingers clawed at her lap.

Ronald's jaw clenched as he flipped through the pages, his grasp on the papers tightening. In every word, it was clear and irrevocable. There was no loophole. No way to overturn it.

Amelia owned Wellington Holdings.

The air grew thick in the room.

Beatrice's fingers twitched in her effort to process the shock. "This… This is forged," she snapped. "There's no way Jake would do this."

Marson's lips curled a little. "Feel free to have your legal team verify it, Mrs. Rodriguez. But I assure you-this document is untouchable.

Catherine finally found her voice, strained with disbelief. "You disappeared for four years, Amelia," she spat. "And now you think you can just walk in here and take everything?"

Amelia slowly turned to regard Catherine, her face unruffled. "I didn't 'disappear,'" she replied calmly. "I left for a reason. And now, I'm back. To take what Jake entrusted to me.

Ronald spoke for the first time, his voice low, dangerously cold. "And what do you propose doing with it?"

Amelia didn't flinch from his glare. "Run this company the way Jake intended," she said smoothly. "Without the Wellington family's control."

There was a dangerous silence in the room.

Ronald blew out through his nose, laying the documents down carefully. "So, that's your plan?" he murmured.

Amelia cocked her head to one side. "That, Mr. Wellington, is not a plan. It's reality."

The board members exchanged glances, each face a mask of skepticism. Wellington Holdings had never seen such a turn of events.

Ronald finally smiled, but there was no humor in his face. "Let's see if you can handle it."

Amelia's lips arced slightly. "I already am."

Catherine, who had sat ramrod straight in her chair, suddenly stood. "This is far from over.

Amelia barely spared her a glance. "Oh, I know."

Catherine's fingers curled into fists before she wheeled sharply and stormed out with Beatrice, her face twisted in a mask of rage.

Marson gathered the remaining documents, work finished. "Well, then," he said, looking to Amelia. "Shall we proceed, Madam President?"

A ghost of a smile played across Amelia's lips.

"Yes, we shall."